Deb is the Director and Founder of the UC Berkeley Center for Cities and Schools at the Institute of Urban and Regional Development. She has worked at the intersection of urban policy and education for fifteen years at national and international levels. Deborah’s research looks at the intersection of educational reform, community development and public policy.

Her recent publications include: "Understanding the Housing-Schools Nexus: Integrating housing and educational policy and practice to improve neighborhoods and schools", in the book A History of Housing Discrimination An Examination of Barriers and Efforts to Achieve an Inclusive Society, 2007, (National Fair Housing Alliance) and "Engaging Schools in Urban Revitalization: The Y-PLAN (Youth – Plan, Learn, Act, Now!)" Journal of Planning Education and Research, 2007.

Previous professional positions include: Chief of Economic Development and Training at the NYC Housing Authority; Director of Refugee Services for a NYC non-profit organization, CAMBA; Consultant to the UN’s Education For All initiative, and Research Associate at the National Center for Research in Vocational Education (NCRVE). Deborah has a Master’s Degree in Public Policy and Administration from Columbia University and a Ph.D. in Educational Policy from UC Berkeley.